NEW Kate Martin Interview REVEALS How Caitlin Clark SAVED Her Career

.

.

.

Kate Martin didn’t cry when Iowa fell short in the national championship. She didn’t cry when she packed her bags for the last time as a Hawkeye. But on WNBA Draft night, when her name was called—late, almost overlooked—she looked up from the crowd and saw Caitlin Clark already standing, already smiling, already in tears.

In that moment, something inside Martin broke open.
“That hug? It wasn’t just about the draft,” she would later say. “It was for every moment that came before.”

This is the story that almost never happened—and the friend who refused to let it slip away.

For much of her basketball life, Kate Martin played in the shadows. She was the reliable one, the hustle player, the teammate who sprinted after loose balls, fought for position, and clapped loudest when someone else hit the big shot.

When she joined Iowa, Martin was a solid guard with length and toughness—but not a name that turned heads. Then, Caitlin Clark arrived. And everything changed.

“I knew the game was about to get louder,” Martin said. “And I wasn’t sure there would still be room for someone like me.”

It was during their junior year that a small moment changed everything. On a bitterly cold night, Martin missed three straight open looks. Her coach was already signaling for a sub. During a timeout, Clark quietly slid over beside her.

“She didn’t yell. She didn’t preach. She just leaned in and said, ‘We win when you play free.’”

Martin went back in, hit two threes, and sealed the game with a late steal. “That night didn’t change my stats,” Martin said. “It changed my mindset. Because she gave me something no one else had: belief.”

When Iowa’s season ended, Martin’s name was nowhere on draft boards. She didn’t have a shoe deal. She wasn’t in the green room. She wasn’t even sure she should go to the draft.

“I texted Caitlin and said, ‘I think I’m just gonna skip it.’”

Clark called immediately. No pep talk. No hype. Just one sentence: “You’re not done.”

Martin booked her flight. Sat in the crowd. Waited. And waited. As pick after pick went by, she checked her phone—just in time to see a message flash: “Vegas. Get ready.”

The next thing Martin remembers is Clark on her feet, arms out, tears in her eyes.
“I don’t remember the name being called,” Martin said. “I just remember Caitlin running toward me.”

That hug made headlines. But the story behind it didn’t—until now.

Landing in Las Vegas didn’t guarantee anything. Martin was walking into a locker room full of champions: A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum. Stars with Olympic gold and WNBA rings.

“You don’t walk into that and expect to take over,” Martin said. “You just hope they let you stay.”

Early on, she barely touched the ball in scrimmages. One assistant coach reportedly told her: “You’re smart. But this isn’t the Big Ten.”

It stung.
“I went back to my hotel one night and opened an email draft,” she admitted. “I started typing my goodbye. Not to the team. To the game.”

She never sent it. Her phone buzzed again. Clark: “Don’t hit send.”

The next morning, Martin was first in the gym. She didn’t ask for more minutes. She asked to guard A’ja Wilson in practice. She got knocked down, elbowed, outrun, outplayed. But she never backed down. Coaches noticed.

A few weeks later, she checked into a game in the second quarter. First play: a steal. Second play: an assist. Third play: a dive for a rebound.

“It wasn’t about points,” she said. “It was about proving I belonged in that room.”

Through it all, Clark was watching.
“She’d FaceTime me after games,” Martin said. “Not to talk about highlights. Just to check in.”

They still talk nearly every day.
“We talk about defenses. Coffee shops. Stuff the media says. Stuff the media doesn’t.”

Clark, already swarmed with attention in Indiana, makes time. And Martin makes sure the world knows:
“People talk about her numbers. But they don’t talk about how she sees people. That’s her real gift.”

In a recent interview, Martin was asked: “What would’ve happened if Caitlin wasn’t in your life?”

She paused, looked down.
“I wouldn’t be here,” she said quietly. “She didn’t just make me better. She didn’t just pass me the ball when I missed three in a row. She saved my career.”

That clip has been viewed over 14 million times. Fans weren’t just touched—they were shaken.
“This is the real WNBA,” one posted. “Not the fights. Not the drama. This.”

In a league often caught up in controversy—over race, rivalries, or rumors—this story feels different. Not sanitized. Just… human.

“Leadership doesn’t always look like a speech,” one columnist wrote. “Sometimes it’s just a glance. A pass. A phone call at the right time.”

For Martin, legacy isn’t measured in stat sheets or shoe deals.
“I don’t call her my savior,” she said. “I call her my teammate. That’s enough.”

Maybe the reason that hug went viral wasn’t just because two friends were happy. Maybe it was because the world saw something rare: a superstar refusing to rise alone, a teammate refusing to let go.

“She hugged the version of me I almost erased,” Martin whispered at the end of the interview. “And that’s something I’ll never forget.”

*This article is based on publicly available interviews, social content, and player relationships, and includes reconstructed moments and commentary to reflect the emotional truth behind Kate Martin’s journey. While specific conversations and events have been adapted for narrative purposes, the heart of the story remains rooted in real experiences and the enduring bond between teammates.*